The rapid development of ties between China and countries throughout world under the Belt and Road Initiative is improving diplomatic links, but it's also drawing ordinary people together. CGTN's Feng Yilei has a story of foreign residents doing businesses in eastern China's Zhejiang Province.

Authentic Arabic cuisine in a small, coastal eastern Chinese county. It's not a fantasy from the tales of The Thousand and One Nights. Jordanian businessman Mohanad has run Arabic restaurants for over 15 years in Yiwu. He says Yiwu is becoming world-famous for small commodity trade and vibrant free markets.

MOHANAD SHALABI OWNER OF BEYTI RESTAURANT "When I first came here, Yiwu was just a small county without that many buildings, cars or people. But it has developed rapidly. Now we love this place for its safe environment, business opportunities, livability and convenience."

Mohanad's business continues to prosper along with the city. Recently, he moved his restaurant into a three-story building that is closer to Yiwu's International Trade Mart. He has higher expectations for this new venue named Beyti, which means "my home".

MOHANAD SHALABI OWNER OF BEYTI RESTAURANT "I have been hiring new chefs, updating the menu, and improving our services. I want to provide my customers with the tastes of their countries. I want to make everyone feel at home."

FENG YILEI YIWU, CHINA "As the story goes, China's first taste of black pepper can be traced back several centuries, to when merchants from the Middle East came here along the ancient Silk Road. They settled here and established Arabic communities. Today, in this Arabic restaurant you'll find diverse flavors of food, as well as locals and newcomers alike enjoying each other's company."

President Xi once said that Mohanad is the best example of the Chinese Dream meeting the Arabic Dream. With the Belt and Road Initiative now in place, more foreigners are flocking to this city, chasing their business dreams, and crowding Muhannad's restaurant.

Hamid, a frequent patron here, runs a trade company in Yiwu. He said there were only a dozen Iranian businessmen when he first came, but now he has some 300 counterparts.

HAMID DEHGHANI, CHAIRMAN YIWU HAMID TRADE COMPANY "There are many business opportunities in Yiwu. It has cheap prices, people from across the globe and one of the biggest trade markets in the world with not just small commodities but almost everything. Many daily necessities in Iran come from Yiwu. With newly launched sea routes and rail lines, it's even easier to send Yiwu goods back to Teheran."

And in Ningbo, another Zhejiang city about 200 kilometers from Yiwu, increasing ties with Central and Eastern European countries within the policy framework has boosted bilateral investment and trade.

That has brought young graduates like Anete here. She now works with the Latvian government to cooperate and promote Latvian groceries in the Chinese market. For Anete, her first priority here in Yiwu is promoting commerce, but more importantly, people-to-people exchanges.

ANETE MADZINA, INTERN LATVIAN INVESTMENT AND DEVELOPMENT AGENCY "As I have been living here for a year, I see how nice Chinese people are and how I want to beckon people in Latvia to come to China. It's a great country with so many welcoming people. I think that this trade in product is just the beginning of political and cultural relationship."

Feng Yilei, CGTN, in Zhejiang province.